Framework of the Church

Updated November 9, 2014

In my previous blog, I shared to you that the apostle Paul used the extended metaphor of Jesus as the Head of His body, that is the church (Ephesians 1:22ff; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:18-19; 2:19). And expanding further our thinking on the said metaphor and making a sort of taking that body apart a little bit by dissecting it into parts that I called in this series of blogs as the "Spiritual Physiology of the Church," that made up of the (a) skeleton; (b) internal system; (c) muscles; and (d) flesh or the skin. Today I will be sharing to you the first one that is the skeleton.

Without the skeleton, all you will have is a heap of tissue lying somewhere with an inability to operate. It is absolutely essential and crucial to any kind of functioning body. It is the skeleton that is the framework to which everything is attached and upon which everything finds its proper place. The internal organs are all attached to that framework. The muscles are all attached to that framework and the skin is wrapped around that. It gives the form and provides the foundation for the body and for the life of the church.

At the very heart and soul of the body of Christ, there are five things that constitute the framework and set the structure of the church in its place. These things are the basic foundational truths that are non-negotiable and fundamental to the church to be able to function. Its concept is found in a very familiar section of the Scripture which most of us have memorized and even sung of it and, maybe, have gone across our lips a hundreds or even thousand times through the years since we became a Christian. It is part of the Sermon at the Mount by our Lord Jesus and part of His teaching on how we should pray. It is found in Matthew 6:9 and 10 that reads, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’” (NASB).

The statement “on earth as it is in heaven” supports those three prior statements: “Hallowed be Your name,” “Your kingdom come,” and “Your will be done.” This implies that Jesus wants us to pray that whatever is going on in heaven will be done on earth.

Where on earth God’s Name, kingdom and will be done?

It will happen only in one place and that is in the church. No other human institution can fulfil that prayer. It is an essential part of our duty as a church to be the answer to that very plea for we are citizens of heaven and not of this world. We have been translated into the kingdom of God’s Son. We are a kingdom of priests and we belong as subjects of the living Christ in a very unique identity. We are heavenly people living on earth and when we gather together, we bring what goes on in heaven down on earth.

And if we are going to do on earth what is being done in heaven, then the following should be experienced in the church:

1. Worship of God. We find in Revelation 4:8 how the four living creatures set the tone for heaven wherein they praise and worship God day and night because worship is the primary occupation of heaven.
2. Exalting Christ. Revelation 5:6-12 clearly tells us that heaven is engaged in the worship and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Presence of purity. Revelation 21:27 describes that no unclean person, and no one who is practicing anything that abominates God, or dishonors Him, will ever enter in heaven for heaven is a holy place.
4. The Divine Truth
5. Spiritual Authority

I will discuss each of the above in my next blogs.